Period poverty is a global issue affecting millions of girls and women worldwide. It is a situation in which individuals lack access to adequate menstrual hygiene products, education, and sanitation facilities. In Ghana, period poverty is a widespread problem that disproportionately affects girls and women living in poverty.
In Ghana, menstrual hygiene management is often considered a taboo topic, and many girls and women face significant challenges in accessing affordable and hygienic menstrual products. According to a 2020 study by WaterAid Ghana, only 18% of Ghanaian girls and women have access to sanitary pads, while the remaining 82% resort to using alternative methods such as old clothes, rags, or even leaves during their menstrual cycle. This is due to the high cost of menstrual products, inadequate knowledge about menstrual hygiene management, and a lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities.
The cost of menstrual products is a major barrier for many Ghanaian women and girls. A pack of sanitary pads can cost up to GHC 20, which is unaffordable for many low-income families.
This lack of access to menstrual products can lead to embarrassment, shame, and social isolation for girls and women, ultimately impacting their education, health, and economic opportunities.
To address period poverty in Ghana, there is a need for increased awareness and education about menstrual hygiene management. Girls and women need access to affordable menstrual products, safe and hygienic sanitation facilities, and clean water. Government, corporate bodies, and other international organisations are putting in efforts to make menstrual products affordable and accessible to all women and girls, but especially those in rural areas. Even so, more needs to be done to improve the challenge of period poverty in Ghana.
It is for this reason that a corporate body such as MYO Global Organisation is on a mission to contribute its quota to zeroing period poverty and encouraging good menstrual health and hygiene with its ‘Pad the Girl Project ‘.